Instead, the season has reinforced the same troubling patterns that have defined the organisation for years: instability, short-term decision-making, constant turnover and a lack of patience, clarity and accountability. Together, those issues have limited success on the court, prevented the establishment of a strong culture and placed the club\u2019s long-term vision firmly under the microscope.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766715493_96_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
When you dig deeper into the numbers, the club\u2019s history and the broader track record tied to elements within its ownership group, the picture becomes even clearer. This is a franchise desperate to win \u2013 but unwilling or unable to commit to the process required to get there.<\/p>\n
Foxsports.com.au spoke exclusively to former NBL champion and league legend Shane Heal to discuss where the Brisbane Bullets have gone wrong, what must change and how the club can begin to pull itself out of a cycle that has become increasingly difficult to defend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the selection of people to establish a culture is probably where they\u2019ve failed the most,\u201d Heal told foxsports.com.au.<\/p>\n
It is a blunt assessment \u2013 and one that cuts straight to the heart of Brisbane\u2019s problems.<\/p>\n
THE BULLETS\u2019 RETURN \u2013 FROM HOPE TO FRUSTRATION<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Bullets returned to the NBL in 2016 after an eight-year absence, following the club\u2019s collapse in 2008 when former owner Eddy Groves failed to secure new ownership just two seasons after Brisbane won a third NBL championship.<\/p>\n
The return was meant to symbolise renewal \u2013 a sleeping giant reawakening in one of the country\u2019s biggest sporting markets. Instead, it has delivered frustration and underachievement.<\/p>\n
Brisbane Bullets celebrating their Grand Final win over the Melbourne Tigers in Melbourne. Brisbane Bullets in 2008.Source: AAP<\/p>\n
Since re-entering the league, the Bullets have reached the playoffs just once \u2013 a semi-final loss to the Perth Wildcats in the 2018-19 season under Andrej Lemanis. Their best finish since was fifth place the following year and they have failed to feature in the postseason at all since then.<\/p>\n
Over that period, the club has cycled through ownership changes, head coaches, general managers and roster builds, all while never establishing a recognisable identity \u2013 on the floor or off it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the history with the Brisbane Bullets, you would struggle to articulate what they stand for,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat tells you everything. When you don\u2019t have a vision, you can\u2019t have a process \u2013 and without a process, you can\u2019t build a culture year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE COACHING MERRY-GO-ROUND<\/p>\n
If the Brisbane Bullets\u2019 inability to build sustained success can be traced to one defining issue, it is the club\u2019s relentless churn at the head coaching position.<\/p>\n
Since rejoining the NBL in 2016, the Bullets have employed seven head coaches, including interim appointments \u2013 a staggering figure that speaks not just to poor results, but a deeper failure in leadership, planning and patience.<\/p>\n
In a league where stability has become a competitive advantage, Brisbane has instead operated in constant reset mode. Each coaching change brings a new voice and a new direction \u2013 only for that direction to be abandoned months or seasons later.<\/p>\n
Brisbane Bullets former coaches Andrej Lemanis, Justin Schueller and Stu LashSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThe changing of coaches makes it frustrating and difficult to be able to win on a consistent basis,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impossible to build anything when there\u2019s no continuity.\u201d<\/p>\n
That lack of continuity has had real consequences. Systems are installed and discarded. Player development stalls. Recruitment strategies shift. Imports are signed to fit one coach\u2019s vision, only to be moved on when the next coach arrives. Over time, the instability becomes self-perpetuating.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been this absolute turnover of coaches,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it shows they just don\u2019t have a vision.\u201d<\/p>\n
The most recent example came this season with the appointment of Stu Lash \u2013 a decision that crystallised many of the concerns surrounding the club\u2019s governance and decision-making process.<\/p>\n
United face Jack Jumpers in open air | 00:52<\/p>\n
Following what the Bullets described as a \u201cworldwide search\u201d, Lash \u2013 who was part of that process \u2013 ultimately appointed himself head coach, despite the club reportedly engaging with experienced NBL candidates including Chase Buford and Mody Maor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat Stu Lash has shown us is that he went through the process, couldn\u2019t find a coach, appointed himself \u2013 and then failed,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving that job to someone without a history in the NBL, they were setting themselves up to fail from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Lash brought NBA front-office experience from stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets, he entered the season with no professional head coaching experience. His background was in scouting, development and administration \u2013 not leading a professional team through the grind of an NBL season.<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 05: Stu Lash, head coach of the Brisbane Bullets during the round 11 NBL match between Adelaide 36ers and Brisbane Bullets at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on December 05, 2025, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
He initially joined the Bullets in 2023 as a senior basketball advisor before being elevated to the top job, a move that raised eyebrows across the league at the time and now stands as another example of Brisbane gambling rather than building.<\/p>\n
The result was predictable. Without experience, without a proven support structure and without organisational stability, the appointment failed \u2013 and the club was once again forced into another reset mid-season.<\/p>\n
For Heal, the pattern is impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you keep changing coaches, what you\u2019re really saying is that you don\u2019t know who you are or what you want to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd players see that. Coaches see that. The rest of the league sees that.\u201d<\/p>\n
OWNERSHIP AND A PATTERN THAT CAN\u2019T BE IGNORED<\/p>\n
As Brisbane\u2019s instability has continued, it has become increasingly difficult to discuss the club\u2019s struggles without addressing the role of ownership \u2013 specifically chairman and majority owner Jason Levien.<\/p>\n
Levien, an American investor and former CEO of the Memphis Grizzlies, holds majority ownership stakes across multiple sporting organisations, including MLS club DC United and previously English football club Swansea City. Across those investments, a consistent pattern has emerged \u2013 one that mirrors the trajectory of the Brisbane Bullets.<\/p>\n
English international soccer player Wayne Rooney flanked by Jason Levien (L) , United Managing Partner and CEO , and Dave Kasper , United General Manager and VP of Soccer Operations pose during the media unveiling at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Wayne Rooney – D.C. United Unveiling – Washington 02-07-2018 . (Photo by Oliver Douillery\/PA Images via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
At DC United, Levien became a majority owner in 2012. Since then, the club has endured prolonged periods of instability and underperformance, punctuated by brief flashes of competitiveness but never sustained success.<\/p>\n
The most alarming stretch came between 2020 and 2025. Over six seasons, DC United employed seven different head coaches, often changing direction mid-season, while also cycling through three different general managers. During that period, the club failed to establish continuity, identity, or on-field credibility, with its best finish an eighth-place result.<\/p>\n
The fallout was not limited to results. Fan unrest became constant. Supporters openly protested ownership decisions, chants of \u201csell the team\u201d echoed through matches and petitions calling for the ownership group to step aside gained traction. <\/p>\n
Within league circles and media coverage, DC United was increasingly referred to as a club in decline \u2013 one drifting without leadership or purpose.<\/p>\n
Former United States men\u2019s national team legend Landon Donovan offered a blunt public assessment of the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cDC is a disaster and it starts with ownership,\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you really care about this? Because if you don\u2019t, teams like this are just a mess. They\u2019re cheap, they don\u2019t spend money and they\u2019re a shadow of what they once were.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levien\u2019s tenure at Swansea City followed a strikingly similar arc.<\/p>\n
SWANSEA, WALES – SEPTEMBER 10: (L-R) Swansea owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan watch the game from the stand during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Newcastle United at The Liberty Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
After buying into the club in 2016, Swansea were relegated from the Premier League in their second season under the new ownership. What followed was a prolonged period of churn. <\/p>\n
Between 2016 and 2024, the club employed nine different managers, including three in a single season and the first American manager in Premier League history, Bob Bradley, who lasted just 85 days.<\/p>\n
The instability had tangible consequences. Managers were appointed and dismissed rapidly, recruitment strategies shifted constantly and the club struggled financially while failing to properly support coaches with adequate resources.<\/p>\n
Former Swansea City player Ian Walsh was scathing while speaking with BBC Wales in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe owners have been absolutely rubbish for Swansea City Football Club,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Americans aren\u2019t going to invest, get them out of here and let someone else do a better job.\u201d<\/p>\n
When that history is placed alongside the Brisbane Bullets\u2019 record, the similarities are stark.<\/p>\n
Since Levien\u2019s involvement, the Bullets have employed eight head coaches in seven seasons, failed to make the playoffs once and recorded a best finish of fifth. Coaching appointments have been reactive. Long-term planning has been absent. Stability has been sacrificed repeatedly in pursuit of quick fixes.<\/p>\n
Heal believes that disconnect is a major issue when ownership is based overseas.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was advising an overseas owner, the first thing I\u2019d say is you need to get the right basketball general manager to establish a culture,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
NBL Wrap: Kings post season-high score | 00:58<\/p>\n
WHERE DO THE BULLETS GO FROM HERE?<\/p>\n
The uncomfortable reality is that there are no shortcuts left for the Brisbane Bullets. The problems facing the club are not isolated to one season, one coach, or one roster build. They are structural \u2013 and they demand structural solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think this club has had a process of how they\u2019re going to lay the foundations and build,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
For Heal, the first step is non-negotiable. \u201cYou need to get the right basketball general manager to establish a culture,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you go through the right process to get the right coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
That order matters. Without a strong, respected basketball-led general manager, the Bullets have lacked a consistent voice to guide decision-making. Coaching appointments have been reactive. Recruitment has been short-term. Long-term planning has been sacrificed in pursuit of quick fixes that have repeatedly failed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the Adelaide 36ers, the appointment of Matt Weston as general manager has allowed them to make some really good decisions and turn that franchise around,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
The impact of that appointment has been evident across every layer of the organisation \u2013 from roster construction and coaching alignment to cultural standards and accountability. Brisbane, by contrast, has lacked that alignment for years.<\/p>\n
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 06: Bullets head coach Justin Schueller is seen during the round 20 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Brisbane Bullets at Cairns Convention Centre, on February 06, 2025, in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Emily Barker\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
On paper, the Bullets\u2019 roster is not devoid of talent. There is a solid local base and a proven import in Casey Prather. But talent alone does not equal progress.<\/p>\n
To become competitive again, Brisbane needs a clear philosophy around the type of players it wants \u2013 not just in skill, but mentality. Players who elevate standards, buy into culture and grow within a program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be very difficult to attract quality players because most quality players really want to win,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd right now, the only thing that would attract players to the Brisbane Bullets is a higher salary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the NBL, the blueprint is well established. Melbourne United, the Sydney Kings and the Perth Wildcats have built reputations on professionalism, patience and clear standards. More recently, the Tasmania JackJumpers have shown how quickly success can follow when a club commits to a clearly defined identity.<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 23: Scott Roth, head coach of the JackJumpers speaks to the team during the round 13 NBL match between Melbourne United and Tasmania Jackjumpers at John Cain Arena, on December 23, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the JackJumpers, you understand exactly what they stand for,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been able to attract players to their program because of what they\u2019ve established.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Brisbane, that clarity does not yet exist. And until it does, progress will remain elusive.<\/p>\n
There are no guarantees \u2013 but there is only one viable path forward.<\/p>\n
Without a strong general manager, a clear vision, and a genuine commitment to stability, the Brisbane Bullets will remain trapped in the same cycle they have failed to escape since returning to the league.<\/p>\n
WHY A PROVEN CHAMPIONSHIP COACH FITS THE BLUEPRINT<\/p>\n
If the Brisbane Bullets are serious about resetting their culture and credibility, Heal believes the profile of candidate they should be targeting is clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would be going for somebody like Brendan Joyce,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got history in the league, he\u2019s won an NBL championship, and he has a proven record of establishing a culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sport – 18.12.2004 – Pic Pasco Rogato – NBL Basketball, Taipans v Hawks: Unhappy Hawks’ coach Brendan JoyceSource: News Limited<\/p>\n
Joyce represents exactly what Brisbane has lacked \u2013 experience, credibility and a clear understanding of how to build a program from the ground up. Throughout his career, Joyce has developed players, established standards and led teams through sustained competitiveness rather than short-term spikes.<\/p>\n
While Heal believes Joyce would be more than capable of stepping into the head coaching role immediately, he argues Joyce\u2019s greatest value may lie in a broader leadership position.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though he would be the perfect coach to take over right now, I think he\u2019d be more valuable as a general manager,\u201d Heal said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who can go through that process, establish the culture and then find the right coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
That distinction matters. Brisbane does not simply need a coach \u2013 it needs someone capable of defining what the Bullets stand for, aligning recruitment with philosophy and providing stability across seasons rather than months.<\/p>\n
When approached for comment, Joyce confirmed he remains open to returning to the NBL.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as I know, they have a coach,\u201d Joyce said.<\/p>\n